


The Go-Betweens

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 00:59:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4686218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry knows he owes his life to Snape, so sets about making him happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Go-Betweens

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a present for the ever so lovely lore, who wanted Harry helping Snape and Lupin to get together. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2011.

The strange thing about the end of the war was how soon everything got back to normal. There were funerals of course, so many that Harry preferred not to count them. There were injuries to heal – Lupin’s and Snape's among them. There were awards given out, truths told, lies revealed, babies born. But the Wizarding World bounced back as it had done once before, only this time there was a sense of finality to it. Everyone knew that _this_ time, Voldemort would not be coming back.

Harry thought that Snape had the hardest job of them all. Once he'd been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, and submitted to being interviewed by The Quibbler about his war activities, everyone was curious about him, but no one wanted to hire him, or spend too much time in his presence. It was the flip side of his skill at deceit – now everyone had even less reason to trust him than they had before.

It triggered Harry's sense of justice and though he tried not to let it show on his face (not very well according to Hermione) he felt sorry for Snape. And when he saw him staring wistfully at Lupin at the Order's monthly get-togethers (“A sense of solidarity is important, Harry,” Lupin had told him), he decided that he really needed to do something.

(Hermione had stared at him when he'd told her what he was planning, and then felt his forehead for a temperature.

Ron had called him barmy and asked him if he'd hit his head lately.

(They’d both agreed to help).

Harry didn't know much about match-making, nor till now had he really wanted to, but Hermione, as usual, came up with the best idea.

(“You need to get them to talk to each other. Get them sitting next to each other at the next Order meeting.”

“But they won't,” Harry had said. “Mrs Weasley always sits next to Lupin.”

“You could put a pin on her seat,” Ron had suggested, only to have Hermione smack him on the back of his head and remind him that that was his mother he was talking about.

“Then get them to meet somewhere else. Where do Snape and Lupin like to spend time?”

“You mean we should follow them?”

“Well...that's not quite what I had in my mind...”)

Harry and Ron spent four days attempting to stalk both Snape and Lupin before deciding that they needed a new plan. The war might have been over but they were both paranoid, particularly Snape. Harry had heard mention of a few incidents at his old home, and that not everyone believed Snape's or Harry's telling of what happened during the war. Harry was used to people disbelieving him, but it still hurt. He could only imagine how much worse it must be for Snape, even if Snape would never admit as much to any of them.

(“I could have told you it wouldn't work,” Hermione had said. Harry and Ron had sighed and asked her what she would have done, confident that their own plan couldn’t be improved upon.

“Well, if you won't ask them directly...perhaps a little subterfuge?”

“You want me to lie to Snape about Lupin? And Lupin about Snape? Are you mad?”

“You don't have to lie _to_ them exactly. After all, I can forge Professor Lupin's handwriting pretty well.”

“You can?” Ron had spluttered. “When did you...”

“Never you mind.”)

* * * * *

“I came. As requested.”

Lupin looked down at the parchment that Snape had just handed him. It looked very much like his handwriting. Incredibly close in fact. But Lupin knew for a certainty that he hadn't written it, hadn't requested Snape to meet him here, at the small café around the corner from the British Library. And yet, Snape had come, just at the time when he had told Hermione that he always popped in for a coffee. He smiled. Amazing coincidence, that.

“Why are you smiling?” Snape asked. He was still standing in front of Lupin's table, his back stiff and his eyes searching Lupin's face for something, though Lupin wasn't sure what that could be. They were both aware of the other patrons staring at them, and both attempting as best they could to ignore them.

“No reason. None at all. Would you like to join me?”

Snape seemed to hesitate, before sitting down and catching the waitresses eye. “Well, it would be churlish of me to refuse once you've made such an effort to get me here.”

“An effort?” Lupin asked, wondering just how many letters he had sent. “It wasn't any kind of effort at all.”

Snape glared at him suspiciously, but since he could detect no lie in Lupin's face, he nodded, satisfied.

Lupin insisted on buying the tea and cakes, and Snape responded with an offer of a different kind of drink all together, the next night. Lupin had upped the stakes and suggested they go for dinner as well as drinks. Snape had agreed with an almost smile.

* * * * * *

Harry wasn't surprised when he attended the next Order meeting, to find that Lupin and Snape were sitting together. And when he dropped his quill and peeked under the table he saw that the two of them were brushing their fingers together, almost holding hands.

When he sat back up he found that Lupin was staring at him knowingly and Snape was suspiciously narrowing his eyes. Harry just smiled serenely and carried on talking to Kingsley.

(“I told you it would work,” Hermione said.

“Yes, you did,” Ron said. “Lots of times.” )

* * * * * *

Lupin sent Harry a box of chocolate frogs on his and Snape's 5th wedding anniversary.

Hermione received a brand new writing set.


End file.
